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Below is our interview with an astronomer turned soft money researcher. S/he is the PI for a major instrument on a 10-m class telescope. S/he is also in a dual astronomy career couple. If you have questions, suggestions, advice to share, etc. about this career path, please leave a comment below.

I am PI of a major 10-m telescope facility class instrument. 50% of my time is spent on project management and budget issues. 10% is spent working with undergraduate students. The rest is split between various technical and modeling tasks.

Describe job hunting and networking resources you used and any other advice/resources.

Someone I had met while visiting another campus for a science meeting as a graduate student was hiring a postdoc. I got the job.

What advice do you think advisors should be giving students regarding their career path?

Be open minded. Particularly for couples in astronomy, it is much easier to find 2 positions in the same place if they are research scientist positions rather than faculty.

How many hours do you work in a week?

60-65 hours.

What is your level of satisfaction with your current job?

Overall, I am satisfied. I chose this career path so that I would have time for both research and instrument development, which I could not do with the additional teaching time commitment of faculty. However, a research scientist position comes with a high level of uncertainty. Living on a continual two year horizon can be quite stressful.

What are the most enjoyable aspects of your job?

Most enjoyable aspects are seeing results in the lab as the instrument comes together, and helping undergraduates do astronomy research.

What do you like most about your working environment?

Friendly department. Good telescope access.

What opportunities does your job provide to be creative and/or to take initiative?

Lots of opportunities for new instrument development, although finding funding is becoming an increasing problem.

How satisfied are you with your work-life balance in your current job?

Dissatisfied. Not much of life outside of work.

How family-friendly is your current position?

Not at all family friendly.

I never had a family because I do not think I would be doing what I am if I had kids to raise. But, that's okay because this is what I wanted to do with my life.

What advice do you have for achieving work-life balance (including having a family)?